Westminster Bank

The door opened, and Bagins saw a young man dressed as a Demon Hunter standing outside. A gleaming silver Demon Hunter Association badge was pinned to his chest, and the two claw marks on it identified him as a Bronze Tier Beast Hunter.

"Constantine, I've had a hell of a time finding you," the young man said. "Do you remember who I am?"

"Adam Van Helsing. Are you here to capture me, too?"

Baron donned his Dragon Helmet, and the frantic noise that had been plaguing his ears vanished. Though still weak, he was back on his feet. Dragon Flame once again burned on his Cross Scar, and his face became covered in a dense layer of Dragon Scales. At the same time, the long-dormant thirst for blood surged up from the depths of his heart, his instincts zeroing in on the potion vial in Adam's hand.

His instincts told him that the vial contained the one thing he, as a Blood Demon Hunter, needed and craved above all else.

Adam Van Helsing said, "Constantine, everyone is looking for you. They all covet your power, hoping to use you for their own ends."

"I'm different. The Van Helsing Family is different. We only covet your Dragon Knight bloodline. And we're willing to let you take your pick of the beautiful girls from our family's branch lineages."

'So they're just after my body,'

Baron thought. He began gathering his Spiritual Power, preparing for a fight.

'Normally, I should just use the Illusory Cocoon to escape instead of fighting. But I'm the one who caused this commotion, and Master Bagins could get caught in the crossfire. To be safe, I have to lure him outside.'

Baron said, "A fine proposal. But I have one of my own..."

"What is it?"

"Let's take this outside." With that, Baron lunged at Adam, his body instantly transforming into a red Dragon.

............

「A few minutes earlier.」

The mission to capture him was a joint operation between the Holy Mechanism, the Holy Hall's Griffin Knight Order, and the London Demon Hunter Association. Four Bronze Tier and thirteen Black Iron Tier operatives were dispatched with one objective: apprehend the Lawbreaker, Baron Constantin.

Jill Hestia of the Griffin Knight Order was in command. The moment he was notified, he had requested to lead the Griffin Knights personally.

He was going to avenge his younger brother, Roy, with his own hands.

Even though Baron Constantin was now a Bronze Tier Dragon Knight, Jill, as a Bronze Tier Griffin Knight himself, felt no fear.

From atop his Griffin, he coldly surveyed the streets of London City. Below, his Griffin Knights were cornering Constantine, who was trying to slip out a back door. Two Battle Nuns followed close behind them, along with Demon Hunter reinforcements from the Demon Hunter Association. Their leader was none other than Adam Van Helsing of the Van Helsing Family.

He let out a wild laugh. "Dragon Knight Constantine... I can't wait to have a real, satisfying fight with him!"

The events at Dragon Spear Plaza from two days prior were still fresh in his mind. His family had tasked him with bringing back Baron Constantin, no matter the cost. To that end, they had even given him a special grant of High Tier Bloodline Blood.

'Since they gave me Blood Race Blood to suppress my Blood Curse, aren't they practically telling me to go on a rampage?'

That afternoon, as it was one of those rare sunny days in London City, the streets were more crowded with the Old Race than usual. Naturally, they all noticed the spectacular scene unfolding above:

"It's the Griffin Knights and the Inquisition... and Demon Hunters! They're all out in full force. They must be hunting a Lawbreaker... but who?"

"There, at the head of the group... He's coming this way!"

At the sight of the young man in black leading the charge, the bustling crowd on the street scattered like a school of fish from a shark. Though they couldn't get a clear look at the Lawbreaker's face, they heard Adam's shout:

"Constantine! You call yourself a Dragon Knight? Is running all you can do?"

Dragon Knight Constantine... Dragon Knight Constantine!

The crowd grew restless. All along the street, pedestrians craned their necks to look.

"It's the legendary Dragon Knight Constantine! Baron the Bloodless! It's really him!" someone in the know shrieked, their voice filled with excitement. "He's here!"

Dragon Knight Constantine had been enjoying immense fame in the news, papers, and weekly magazines lately, all thanks to the reports of his exploits.

First, he escaped from the supposedly impenetrable and strictly-ordered London Prison. Then, he evaded judgement from the Prole Court and escaped capture by numerous Law Enforcers, even kidnapping his ex-fiancée along the way.

Next, he killed the notoriously tyrannical Bill Frank of the Frank Family at Buckingham Palace and escaped while surrounded by the legendary Silver Lion Knight, Wilder. To top it off, he blew up King's Cross Station, forcing the Old Blood Clan to foot the bill.

And that wasn't even mentioning his later exploits, such as his clash with Roy of the Hestia Family at Ben Mountain, and his glorious feats at Dragon Spear Plaza in the Dracul Mountain Range.

Whether it was assassinating the Young Master of the Hestia Family, single-handedly battling Dragon Devourer Cultists and the Dragon Tide, or escaping atop the legendary Wax Dragon Bad—these were deeds more dramatic than anything a novelist or playwright could invent.

What's more, shortly after the news from the Dracul Mountain Range broke, the *Mercury Times*—a highly influential paper in the lives of the Old Race—published another story: during his escape, Constantine had single-handedly fought a Fog Demon on a Magic Train, saving the day against all odds.

People are naturally drawn to the strong. And although the papers, fed by the Law Enforcement Organizations and the Old Blood Clans, were filled with slander against Baron, the public had long since grown to resent the Old Blood elite. They dismissed the defamation as nothing more than sour grapes, and in their hearts, Constantine's image transformed from that of a Lawbreaker to a heroic outlaw in the vein of Robin Hood.